SHA director collecting $82g salary and benefits while on paid leave

Thursday

Feb 21, 2013 at 3:15 AM

By Christina Higginbothamchigginbotham@fosters.com

SOMERSWORTH — Somersworth Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners has confirmed Elizabeth Salinger, the group’s executive director who was placed on a leave of absence in December, is collecting her $82,000 annual salary plus benefits since being put on paid leave due to the investigative attorney’s unfinished report.

Attorney Joseph McKittrick was hired by the SHA to dissect exactly what went wrong to allow the theft of $920,000 over a six-year span by former Finance Director Lisa Reid.

Mckittrick has stated the process is not a simple one and there are a number of documents to review and personnel of the SHA to interview — and in this case multiple times.

McKittrick noted this was a case where “Salinger was not directly involved with the embezzlement” but rather whether she performed her duties properly as executive director. McKittrick previously stressed he is not implying anyone at the Housing Authority was criminally responsible besides Reid.

But McKittrick is making sure the SHA followed all proper rules and regulations since the crime, and if not, to determine to what degree they were not followed.

“We’re not trying to hide anything. It takes time to put the pieces back together,” said Robert Crichton, SHA Board of Commissioners Chairman Wednesday morning.

On Dec. 6, 2011, Reid was fired from her job as SHA fiscal director after admitting the theft to Salinger. Reid was found dead the following morning in her home from an apparent drug overdose.

The auditor’s report on the thefts states Reid processed checks written to herself on the check stock of certain checking accounts of the authority. It also claimed Reid endorsed the checks by scanning signatures from other legitimate checks and then printing them on the checks generated from her personal computer.

An auditor’s report stated,“The employee relied on the failures of management and the Board of Commissioners to implement effective controls. Proper segregation of duties in various controls activities would have reduced or eliminated the opportunity to commit fraud and basic monitoring procedures would have detected it.”

The Housing Authority has been staying on the right track, according to Crichton.

Laura Willard, who is the director of marketing and community relations for Goodwin Community Health, has been selected to be the spokesman on behalf of the Board of the Commissioners.

“Coming through the doors of the Housing Authority I saw an extraordinary commitment. I am very familiar with serving the more vulnerable populated areas in the community. I hope to bring that to the table,” said Willard.

In addition, Assistant Director Debra Evans has “stepped up the plate” to take on Salinger’s duties, according to Crichton. He said the board is “very fortunate to have someone step in and do the job she (Evans) is doing.

“After such a disruption to the system, we are managing,” said Crichton.

Additionally, Martin Dumont has been appointed to the board of commissioners and will be working with new systems that provide significant checks and balances.

“We cannot comment about certain things and interfere with the investigation. We are not trying to destroy anyone’s well being. This has to run its course,” Crichton said recently.

The investigation continues into exactly what assets the Reid family may still possess as a result of Reid’s actions. These potentially include Florida time shares and condominiums, a Jeep, a recreational vehicle and possibly an online trading account, as well as funds placed into the family furniture business.

Although Crichton could not go into legal specifics about the case he did comment the authority has not officially appointed Evans as its new director, but that it may be possible down the road.

Recently contacted by Foster’s, Salinger declined to answer any questions.